|
Monthly Newsletter
February 2017
|
CU Boulder Gold Bicycle Friendly University
The League of American Bicyclists has recognized the University of Colorado Boulder with the Gold Bicycle Friendly University (BFU
SM
) award, joining 18 other Gold Bicycle Friendly Universities.
The University of Colorado Boulder joins a cutting-edge group of colleges and universities across the United States transforming their campuses and the communities around them. There are now 164 BFUs in 44 states and Washington, D.C.
"In
its fifth year, we've seen the Bicycle Friendly University program's momentum continue to
grow and reach even more campuses across the country," said Bill Nesper, Programs Director. "We applaud this round of BFUs for raising the standard and being innovative in making bicycling a safe, convenient and enjoyable option for students, staff and visitors alike."
Being a Bike Friendly University has given students and faculty of the University of Colorado Boulder easy options for traveling via bicycle. The University encourages bicycling as a healthy option for sustainable travel and provides amenities such as bike stations for no additional cost bike repairs, rentals, registration, secured storage and information about B-cycle bike share stations on campus. CU strives to get all affiliates out of cars and into a better mode of transportation such as on a bike, bus, carpool, foot, skateboard, or a combination of those.
Moving forward, the University of Colorado Boulder will have access to a variety of free tools and technical assistance from the League to become even more bicycle-friendly. When colleges and universities invest in bicycling, great things happen: Decreased carbon footprint, decreased need for parking, and increased use of sustainable transportation options to and from campus.
About the Bicycle Friendly America
SM
Program
The Bicycle Friendly Community
SM
, Bicycle Friendly State
SM
, Bicycle Friendly Business
SM
and Bicycle Friendly University programs are generously supported by Planet Bike and League members. To learn more about building a Bicycle Friendly America, visit
www.bikeleague.org/BFA
The League of American Bicyclists is leading the movement to create a Bicycle Friendly America for everyone. As leaders, our commitment is to listen and learn, define standards and share best practices to engage diverse communities and build a powerful, unified voice for change.
|
Village Center Dining and Community Commons now open
Students returning for the spring semester now have a brand new place to gather at Williams Village. Opened on Jan. 11, the Village Center Dining and Community Commons is the latest construction by Housing & Dining Services that features state-of-the-art services from dining to residential programs, as well as healthcare and counseling.
The construction of the 109,000-square-foot building began in July 2015 with the demolition of Darley Commons, the previous dining center at Williams Village.
"Based on student feedback from a few years ago coupled with our own vision and desire to provide top-notch services to our students, we have built a facility that we think students will be very pleased with on both an academic and social level," said Amy Beckstrom, executive director of Housing & Dining Services.
Among the amenities of the new building are a five-station dining center featuring items such as all-day breakfast, curry, menus from the Mediterranean and Middle East, locally-sourced Colorado fare, salad bar, smoothie station and traditional grill items.
On certain nights during the week, the dining center will transform after closing into the VCStudy, a late-night study space for all students at the university. Although no food stations will be open during VCStudy hours, students can purchase food from The Grotto, a late-night venue featuring a stage and an outdoor fire pit that will be open daily until 2 a.m.
Sustainable building features:
-
To reduce the ecological impacts of creating new materials and shipping them to a new location, local and recycled building materials were used during construction. The large wooden tables in the western dining room are made from Colorado beetle-kill pine.
-
Electrochromic glass external windows were installed. These windows act similarly to transition eyeglass lenses, darkening when direct sunlight hits them, which eliminates the need for window blinds and leaves the beautiful views available all day long.
-
To prevent heating and cooling from running in rooms that are unoccupied, HVAC systems with sensors were installed.
-
Native plants were used in landscaping, which cuts down on the need for excessive
irrigation and fertilizer and does not affect local ecosystems negatively.
-
A biodigester was added to the dining center to treat food waste and create an eco-friendly product that is safely re-added to waste-water supply.
Other tenants and services making their home at the Village Center will be the
Academic Success and Achievement Program (ASAP)
, a free tutoring service provided to on-campus student residents, which is opening its second location (Kittredge Central offers another option for students). The
Residence Hall Association
will also have a presence in the building, providing better office space and hall leadership representation to this part of campus.
By fall 2017, there will be even more perks for students. The Village Market will replace the current Village Express and Market in Stearns Central and serve as a grab-n-go and retail operation. UPS will also be opening a full-service shipping and mailing center for students, staff and the greater Boulder community.
Additionally, one of the more anticipated amenities of the new building will be the 3,000-square-foot greenhouse that will produce fresh greens and produce year round for the salad bar and dining center just steps away from its hydroponic growing towers. The greenhouse will begin construction this spring and be completed by the beginning of next school year (fall 2017).
And finally, there is a new entrepreneurial space for students on the first floor. The details are still being ironed out, but students may be asked to submit ideas for a business that, if chosen, can begin incubating at the Village Center.
CU Boulder Today
will provide further details once the process for the space is finalized.
Housing & Dining Services is also in the process of securing Leed Platinum status for the Village Center, making it the third building by Housing & Dining Services to earn Platinum status-the highest-ranking green certification for a building that recognizes best-in-class building strategies and practices. The other two buildings are the Center for Community and Williams Village North Hall.
*To join a tour of the Village Center on Tuesday, February 21 at 4:30pm, sign up here
|
February Eco-Tip: Every Drop Counts!
Did you know?
- 50-80% of Colorado's water supply comes from snowpack.
- Colorado's water demand is predicted to outpace supply by the year 2050.
- Over 30 million people rely on the Colorado river, which is so depleted it no longer reaches the sea.
- Ten percent of homes have leaks that waste 90 gallons or more per day.
- Toilets account for 30% of an average home's indoor water consumption. Older, inefficient toilets use as much as 6 gallons per flush.
- In addition to low-flow faucet aerators and high-efficiency urinals, dual-flush handles in CU restrooms reduce water usage up to 30% campus-wide
What Can you Do?
At Home:
- CU Renters: Sign up for a free Eco-Visit performed by two trained CU student technicians. In one hour, we install energy saving upgrades such as light bulbs, weather-stripping, sink aerators, pipe insulation and water-smart showerheads.
- Install high efficiency "WaterSense" toilets. Low-cost "freebate" installs available.
- Reduce: Take shorter showers. Turn off water while shaving or brushing teeth.
- Sustainable consumer choices reduce water use too! Using reusable products, incorporating plant-based meals, and buying second-hand clothes cuts hundreds of gallons from your hidden water consumption.
- Fix leaks and drips.
At CU:
- Take the Water for the West Pledge! For every pledge that CU receives, 1,000 gallons of water will be restored to the Colorado Basin.
- Report drips and leaks to campus building managers!
|
Zipcar Now on CU Boulder Campus
Zipcar, in partnership with Parking & Transportation Services, has launched at CU Boulder! Students, faculty and staff (18+) now have an additional carshare option to get around town, to Denver International Airport and other CU campuses. Approved members have access to 10 on-campus Zipcars plus five local neighborhood Zipcars for approx $10/hr or $75/day with gas, insurance and 180 miles included. Membership is discounted which allows local and international students to enjoy a $15 first year membership ($25/year thereafter) and discounted vehicle rates. Learn more about carshare options at CU Boulder on the
Parking and Transportation Services website.
|
The Just Transition Collaborative (JTC)
JTC at the University of Colorado Boulder engages in community partnerships to advance social and environmental justice in the transition from fossil fuels to a renewable-based economy and in response to climate change. We work to support leadership of underrepresented groups to foster more equitable energy, climate and employment practices and policies, and to produce community-relevant research.
Listen to the KGNU interview here:
Learn more here:
|
Energy Conservation Outreach (ECO) Visits: New Name, Same Great Program celebrating 5 years of impact
As SCORE undergoes a name change to ECO-Visits (Energy Conservation Outreach Visits), we are also looking back at some of our successes in helping students live more sustainably, conserving energy and water and commiting to more sustainable behaviors that will hopefully last them a lifetime. We will still provide students all kinds of free tools, tips & tricks to live in better alignment with their values, and we'll definitely keep providing free Cosmo's pizzas!
Before our new cards and posters are made, we took a look at our impact over the past 5 years of the program. Check it out!
From Fall 2011 to Spring 2016:
-
Nearly
1,000
home visits completed
- Over 3,100 student renters impacted.
- Nearly 5,000 CFLs installed.
- Over 600 LEDs into student homes.
- Nearly 1,000 showerheads replaced.
- Over 1,300 faucet aerators updated.
Sign up today for a free ECO-Visit to start saving energy, water, and money on your bills!
http://www.colorado.edu/ecenter/score
|
Sustainable CU: Call for Proposals
In spring 2005, University of Colorado Boulder students voted to dedicate a portion of student fees to implement on-campus projects incorporating renewable energy, energy efficiency, recycling and waste reduction, and other innovative projects to reduce the CU-Boulder campus' impact on climate and environment.
Sustainable CU funds are used for: capital investment, the purchase of infrastructure necessary for the initiatives, installation of capital projects, educational displays related to the capital projects, and any other non-staff operating costs associated with the initiatives. Particular attention is paid to initiatives created and led by students. The Sustainable CU fund is administered by the
Environmental Center.
For 2016-17, approximately $100,000 is available.
Small grants program (up to $2,500):
Small grants have a rolling deadline, so submit your application any time throughout the school year through mid-April.
Large grants program (over $2,500):
Large grant proposals are due
February 23rd, 2017.
|
Campus Sustainability Awards: call for nominations
The annual CU-Boulder Campus Sustainability Awards is now accepting nominations. The University of Colorado wishes to recognize outstanding individuals and departments who demonstrate a sincere commitment to reducing the burden that CU-Boulder places on the environment.
Outstanding efforts make CU's successful and challenging approaches to attaining
sustainability possible, and awardees exemplify CU's continuing efforts to become a sustainable institution. They set the example for environmental stewardship and responsibility.
Some of the awardees have made groundbreaking efforts that will change the overall way CU operates, and others make an impact on the community and campus environment with their everyday actions. All in all, the campus community is contributing toward a sustainable future, thanks to the dedication and collaboration of its members.
Candidates can be nominated from seven different categories, either as individuals, departments or partnerships. Nominees must be faculty or staff members, students, alumni or a department at the University of Colorado at Boulder campus. The nomination deadline is Thursday, March 2, 2017. The annual awards ceremony takes place on April 20 in conjunction with the Campus Sustainability Summit.
This event is sponsored by the Office of the Provost, Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs, Vice Chancellor for Administration, and CUSG Environmental Center.
|
Spring Semester Events
|
|
CU Environmental Center Events Calendar
Get the latest info on the following events and more:
|
|
Permaculture 101 Lecture
Presented by Kelly Simmons, ENVS 2100 Permaculture Design course instructor
When: Thursday, February 16, 6- 7:30 pm
Where: Humanities 186
Permaculture aims to create stable, productive systems that provide for human needs, harmoniously integrating the land with its inhabitants. In this evening lecture you will learn about the ecological design system known as Permaculture Design and details about the upcoming Maymester course. Please join us.
|
Inuit Knowledge & Climate Change
When: Wednesday, February 22
Join the Eco Social Justice Team in partnership with Oyate for a film screening of the first Inuit language documentary: Inuit Knowledge and Climate Change. It illuminates amazing ways in which Inuit people have been living in the Arctic, and interesting observations Inuit people are making with some of the discrepancies between what they see and what science is "seeing."
Stick around after the film for an engaging discussion about traditional ecological knowledge with special guest Heidi McCann from ELOKA of the National Snow & Ice Center.
|
Buff Talks: Buffs Go Green-A Sustainability Careers Panel {Environment and Business}
When: Wednesday, February 22, 5 pm
Where: C4C Abrams Lounge
Career Services and the Environmental Center's Applied Learning Program have invited sustainability professionals and alumni to campus to speak about their careers and give insight into this fast-growing industry. This non-formal, free Buff Talk will provide you with advice on steps to help with your professional development.
|
|
Eco-Engage Event Series:
Recycling and Waste Diversion
When:
Saturday, February 25,
10 am - 4 pm
Join us as we tour recycling and waste diversion organizations including the campus recycling center, Eco-Cycle and the Hard to Recycle Center.
These FREE offerings are restricted to CU-Boulder students.
Transportation is provided and advanced enrollment is required.
http://www.cueco-engage.com
.
Presented through a partnership between the Environmental Center and the Housing and Dining Eco-Reps program.
|
|
Sustainability Skills Workshop: Basics of Carbon Emissions Inventory
Presented by Kelly Simmons, Environmental Center's Applied Learning Program
When:
Friday, March 3, 3-7 pm. Humanities 186
Want to add an important sustainability skill to your skillset? Learn the basics of conducting a carbon emissions inventory, and calculate carbon emissions for an organization or just yourself. This is the first in a two part series that will teach you the basics of this important skill that is used by a wide range of sustainability professionals. Increase your employability and make a difference!
|
|
Eco-Engage Event Series:
Water in the West
When:
Saturday, March 11,
10 am - 4 pm
These FREE offerings are restricted to CU-Boulder students. Transportation is provided and advanced enrollment is required.
http://www.cueco-engage.com. Presented through a partnership between the Environmental Center and the Housing and Dining Eco-Reps program.
|
Sustainability Skills Workshop: Basics of Building Soil Fertility and Carbon Farming
Presented by Kelly Simmons, Environmental Center's Applied Learning Program
When:
Sunday, March 19, 1 pm - 5 pm.
Where:
Idea Forge, Fleming Hall, room 33
.
|
|
An Evening with Vandana Shiva, internationally-acclaimed food justice author and activist at CU Boulder
When: March 22
Where: UMC Glenn Miller Ballroom
Details forthcoming!
|
Eco-Engage Event Series:
Eco-Social Justice
When:
Saturday, April 8,
10 am - 4 pm
These FREE offerings are restricted to CU-Boulder students. Transportation is provided and advanced enrollment is required. http://www.cueco-engage.com. Presented through a partnership between the Environmental Center and the Housing and Dining Eco-Reps program
|
|
Sustainability Skills Workshop: Basics of Colorado Gardening
Presented by Kelly Simmons, Environmental Center's Applied Learning Program
When:
Sunday, April 9, 1 pm - 5 pm. Idea Forge, Fleming Hall, room 33
.
|
Monthly Sustainability Tours
Get a behind the scenes look at campus operations.
Tuesday, February 21, 2017, 4:30PM
Meet at front entrance of Village Center Dining Area
Guides will be Juergen Friese (Associate Director of Campus Dining Services) &
Nicole Grisham (Sustainability and Food Safety Manager).
East District Energy Plant
Tuesday, March 7, 2017, 12pm
Meet at East District Energy Plant
entrance, 980 Regent Drive, at 12pm.
Guide will be Ellen Edwards (Energy Manager)
April Tour- TBA
|
|
Campus Sustainability Summit and Awards Ceremony
When: Thursday, April 20, 2017
9am-12pm presentations, 12-1:30pm awards ceremony luncheon*
Where:
UMC Ballroom
The 24th annual information-sharing forum features strategic updates and inter-departmental discussion on campus sustainability initiatives. Learn about sustainability-related developments in academic, engagement and operational realms as well as new, innovative and interesting initiatives underway at CU-Boulder.
Award nominations are accepted through March 2nd HERE
|
|
